Music box record player

ABSTRACT

A music box record player rotates a disk with projections that engage starwheels that play a music unit, but instead of the music unit being mounted on a fixed sounding board, it is mounted on a movable tone arm over the disk. The disk has bearing tracks, and the music unit has surfaces that ride directly on the bearing tracks to support the music unit and the tone arm over the disk. An arm extends from the base of the music unit and transmits vibrations from the music unit to a speaker to sound a tune as the disk rotates.

United States Patent [i9] Van Sice et al.

54] MUSIC BOX RECORD PLAYER [75] Inventors: David P. Van Sice; Paul A. Martin,

both of East Aurora, NY.

[73] Assignee: The Quaker Oats Company,

, Chicago, Ill. 22 Filed: Feb. 24, 1972 '21 [Appl No.: 228,874

52 U.S.Cl ..84/98,84/10O 51 Int.Cl..' ..G10t1/06 [581 Field ofSearch ..84/94, 97-100 [56] f References Cited 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS 755,946- 3/1904 Schureman ..'....84/100 1 Jan. 16, 1973 Attorney-Cumpst0n, Shaw & Stephens 57 I ABSTRACT A music box record player rotates a disk with projections that engage starwheels that play' a music unit, but instead of the music unit being mounted on a fixed sounding board, it is mounted on a movable tone arm over the disk. The disk has bearing tracks, and the music unit has surfaces that ride directly on the bearing tracks to support the music unit and the tone arm over the disk. An arm extends from the base of the music unit and transmits vibrations from the music unit to a speaker to sound a tune as the disk rotates.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 16 1975 3,710,668

SHEET 2 OF 2 generally necessary in the art to MUSIC BOX RECORD PLAYER THE INVENTIVE IMPROVEMENT Music box record players have been made with rotating disks having projections that turn starwheels to play a music unit. As is customary with any music box toy, the music unit has been mounted on a fixed sounding board or rigid mounting to enhance the sound produced. Such rigid-mounted music units have been produce an adequate sound in music box toys.

This invention resulted from an attempt to mount a music unit in a movable tone arm simulating the tone arm of an electrical phonograph. Mounting a music unit in a lightweight, movable body such as a simulated tone arm was not supposed to work, and in fact would not work well if the analogy to the electric phonograph were followed. But through trial and error, a way of mounting and operating a music unit in a movable tone arm was discovered to produce a surprisingly good sound. In solving this problem, the invention aims at a more interesting and pleasant toysimulation of an electrical phonograph while maintainingsimplicity, economy, ruggedness, durability, and producing a good quality sound. The invention also seeks attractive and interesting play possibilities in an entertaining toy that is safe and trouble-free.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The inventive music box record player rotates a disk with projections for turning starwheels that play a music unit. The music unit is mounted in a movable tone arm and has surfaces for riding on bearing tracks on the disk to support the music unit and the tone arm over the disk. An arm extends from the baseof the music unit to the speaker to apply vibrations from the music unit to the speaker for sounding a tune as the disk rotates.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the inventive music box record player;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the tone arm of the record player of FIG. 1 taken along the line 2 2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of the tone arm of FIG. 2 taken along the line 3- 3 thereof;

F IG. 4 is a partially cut-away elevational view of the tone arm and speaker of the record-player of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 and showing an alternative mounting of the music unit in a tone arm.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Record player has a base 11 containing a motor (not shown) for driving a turntable 12 supporting a disk 15. The drive motor can be a wind-up or electric motor pivots horizontally on base 11. This allows tone arm 14 to be raised and lowered a limitedamount, and pivoted horizontally between stops 18 and 19. Tone arm 14 can then be raised and moved aside for turning over or changing disk 15. A speaker 20 is mounted below grill openings 21 in the upper surface of base 11, and speaker 20 is concentric with the vertical pivot axis 22 of tone arm 14.

A generally known music unit 25 is mounted in tone arm 14 which is generally open on its underside. Music unit 25 includes a base 24 and a vibrating comb 26 whose tines are plucked by the teeth of starwheels 27 that are mounted in a row at one end of music unit 25. An arm 28 is secured to base 24 and extends along tone arm 14 and into engagement with speaker 20. The free end of arm 28 is preferably pressed resiliently against speaker 20, and a resilient block of foam plastic material secured to the underside of tone arm 14 and engaging the free end of arm 28 is preferred for this. A spring or other resilient device could also be used.

Disk 15 has concentric ridges 31 dividing its surface into channels or grooves 32, and projections 33 extend from ridges 31 into channels 32. Starwheels 27 also extend into grooves 32 to be engaged by projections 33 as disk 15 rotates. As best shown in FIG. 2, a pair of starwheels 27 extends into each groove 32 to be engaged by projections 33 extending inward from the adjacent ridges 31.

As best shown in FIG. 3, disk 15 moves in the direction of the arrow A so that a projection 33 engages a tooth of starwheel 27 to rotate starwheel 27 clockwise in the direction of arrow B so that another tooth of starwheel 27 plucks the registered tine of comb 28 of music unit 25. Then as each projection 33 moves under music unit 25, it causes a tine of comb 28 to be plucked for sounding a tune programmed into the upper surface of disk 15. A different arrangement of projections 33. sounds a different tune on the other side of disk 15, and several disks 15 can be used with a single toy.

Correct mounting and operation of music unit 25 in tone arm 14 is important for producing a good quality sound. For example, if tone arm 14 is self-supported clear of disk 15 except for the engagement between projections 33 and starwheels 27, the sound is very poor. Correct mounting of music unit 25 according to the invention produces an excellent sound, however, and this is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

Base 24 is loosely or resiliently mounted on pins 34 extending downward on the underside of tone arm 14, and a resilient foam block 35 is compressed between base 24 and the underside of tone arm 14 at the starwheel end of music unit 25. Then disk 15 is formed with an inner bearing track 36 and an outer bearing track 37 and corresponding riding surfaces 38 and 39 are formed on the bottom of music unit 25 near starwheels 27 to ride directly on bearing tracks 36 and 37. Guide surfaces 40 and 41 preferably extend downward adjacent riding surfaces 38 and 39 to straddle bearing tracks 36 and 37 and keep music unit 25 aligned with the grooves 32 in disk 15.

Resting surfaces 38 and 39 directly on bearing tracks 36 and 37 on disk 15 has a surprising and beneficial result. It provides reference points about which the entire music unit 25 vibrates, and it amplifies the predominantly vertical vibrations in arm 28 to drive speaker 20 to produce a surprisingly loud and good quality sound.

' As best shown in FIG. 2, bearing tracks 36 and 37 are preferably the innermost and outermost ridges on disk 15, and are widened for better support of music unit 25. Riding surfaces 38 and 39 are preferably smooth and radiused to skid along easily on bearing surfaces 36 and 37. Foam block 35 biases music unit 25 downward and prevents buzzing or rattling vibrations between music unit 25 and tone arm 14. The contact between surfaces 38 an 39 and tracks 36 and 37 influences the music unit 25 in tone arm 14. Approximately at the position of foam block 35 of FIG. 4, rigid support pads 42 are formed on the underside of tone arm 14 in the version of H6. 5, and screws or pins 43 rigidly secure music unit 25 to support pads 4250 that no buzzing or rattling vibrations can occur between music unit 25 and tone arm 14..The rigid mounting of FlG.'5 does allow vertical vibration of arm 28 however, and this is transmitted to speaker 20 as previously described .to produce a good quality sound. Otherwise, the operation of the FIG. version is the same as describedvfor the embodiment ofFIGS. 1 4. v I

' Those skilled in the art will appreciate the many ways thata tone arm can be formed and mounted, the different speakers thatwould be suitable for such a toy, and the various ways that vibrations can be transmitted from a music unit to a speaker. There are also other points at which a music unit can ride on a rotating disk, and various ways that the music unit and disk can have mutually-engaging surfaces .to provide the desired reference pointengageinent of the music unit'with the disk to enhance the sound. Both rigid and resilient music unit mountings are satisfactory as explained, and these can be varied in many ways as known to those skilled in theart. I I 1 Persons wishin g to practice the invention should remember that other embodiments and variations can be adapted to particular circumstances. Even though one those skilled in the art.

l claim:

with projections 'for turning starwheels that play'a music unit, the improvement comprising:

a. a movable tone arm; y i

5 b. means for mounting said music unit on said tone arm;

c. inner and outer bearing tracks 'on said disk;

d. surfaces on said music unit for riding on said bearing tracks as said disk rotates to support said music unit and said tone arm over said disk;

e. a speaker; and

f. an arm extending from the base of said music unit 7 to said speaker to apply vibrations from said music unit to said speaker.

2. The record player of claim 1 including meansfor pivotally mounting said tone arm, and said speaker bein concentric with the pivot axis for said tone arm 3. e record player of claim 1 wherein'said bearing tracks on said disk are ridges around inner and outer portions of said disk. 7

, 4. The record player of claim 3 wherein said music unitincludes guide surfaces adjacent said riding surfaces for engaging said ridges to align said music unit with said disk. I

5. The record player of claim 1 wherein said disk has a plurality of concentric ridges, said projections extend from said ridges into the grooves between said ridges, and said starwheels extend into said. grooves to engage said projections. i j

6. The record playerof claim 5 wherein the innermost and outermost of said ridges form said bearing 7 tracks. 1

7. The record player of claim 6 whereinsaid music unit has a guide surface just inside said innermost ridge, and a guide surface just outside said outermost ridge to align said music unit with said disk. v

8. The record player of. claim 1 including resilient means for biasing said arm into engagement with said speaker. a

9. The record player of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes resilient means for allowing vibration of said music unit relative to said tone arm.

10. The record player of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes means for rigidly securing said vibration of said music unitrelative to said tone arm' in planes other than-the vertical.

music unit to said tone arm for substantially eliminating" 

1. In a music box record player having a rotated disk with projections for turning starwheels that play a music unit, the improvement comprising: a. a movable tone arm; b. means for mounting said music unit on said tone arm; c. inner and outer bearing tracks on said disk; d. surfaces on said music unit for riding on said bearing tracks as said disk rotates to support said music unit and said tone arm over said disk; e. a speaker; and f. an arm extending from the base of said music unit to said speaker to apply vibrations from said music unit to said speaker.
 2. The record player of claim 1 including means for pivotally mounting said tone arm, and said speaker being concentric with the pivot axis for said tone arm.
 3. The record player of claim 1 wherein said bearing tracks on said disk are ridges around inner and outer portions of said disk.
 4. The record player of claim 3 wherein said music unit includes guide surfaces adjacent said riding surfaces for engaging said ridges to align said music unit with said disk.
 5. The record player of claim 1 wherein said disk has a plurality of concentric ridges, said projections extend from said ridges into the grooves between said ridges, and said starwheels extend into said grooves to engage said projections.
 6. The record player of claim 5 wherein the innermost and outermost of said ridges form said bearing tracks.
 7. The record player of claim 6 wherein said music unit has a guide surface just inside said innermost ridge, and a guide surface just outside said outermost ridge to align said music unit with said disk.
 8. The record player of claim 1 including resilient means for biasing said arm into engagement with said speaker.
 9. The record player of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes resilient means for allowing vibration of said music unit relative to said tone arm.
 10. The record player of claim 1 wherein said mounting means includes means for rigidly securing said music unit to said tone arm for substantially eliminating vibration of said music unit relative to said tone arm in planes other than the vertical. 